Shadrock Sound shone brightest at the second staging of Guinness Sounds of Greatness (GSOG) held in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, last Friday.

The competition saw high-intensity sets from Black City Sound, King Tafari Sound, and Twin Tower Sound and gave resident judges Notnice and Bishop, as well as guest judge Hotta Rice, the task of selecting which would be the “Champion Sound” of the night.

“It’s a great feeling for me after 15 years in the business; and this being my third time in the competition, it’s amazing to come out on top. I came out confident and determined to show these sounds who was boss, and did just that,” said Rodney “Rodney Style” Bowen of Shadrock Sound.

“The response and support from the audience showed me how much everyone here loves me, and it was a great feeling to play for them tonight,” he continued.

Shadrock Sound will face off with DJ Naz, winner of week one’s contest, in the finals at 214 Spanish Town Road in Kingston on June 28.

The evening began with the juggling round between Shadrock Sound and Black City Sound, while Twin Tower was pitted against King Tafari. This segment had ‘St Bess’ patrons in a frenzy during the musical selections. In the end, however, it was Shadrock Sound and King Tafari which moved into the second round.

In the challenge round, Shadrock Sound battled Black City Sound in a ’90s dancehall face-off, while King Tafari and Twin Tower duelled in a ’90s hip hop clash. Ultimately, the judges decided it would be King Tafari Sound and Shadrock Sound which would battle in the tune fi tune, dub fi dub final segment.

Shadrock Sound reined supreme.

The evening also saw a special performance by Jah Vinci, who opened with Watch Your Friends that prompted a sing-along from the audience. His set included Remedy and Me Know.

Brand manager of Stouts and Malta at Red Stripe, Nathan Nelms said: “Guinness has a place in dancehall and we are here to stay. Our aim is to continue to support and elevate dancehall in the best ways we know how. An event such as GSOG that supports clash culture is the perfect embodiment of that.”

GSOG’s next showdown will be in Linstead, St Catherine, this Friday, May 24.